Cold Feet and Hot Heads in South Korea

According to the news agency Reuters, South Korean officials had previously insisted the agreement could not be renegotiated.

"We will keep watch on the negotiations between the U.S. and other countries and will at any time ask to revise the (beef) agreement if any new situation comes about," Prime Minister Han Seung-soo said at a news conference.

South Korea agreed last month to open its market wider to American beef after U.S. lawmakers said a separate, sweeping bilateral free trade deal would not make it through Congress until Seoul made concessions on beef.

On May 15, South Korea resumes quarantine inspection on all cuts of U.S. beef from animals of any age, which will start imports flowing again and lifts a blanket ban Seoul had imposed in 2003 following an outbreak of mad cow disease.

South Koreans have taken to the streets to protest as rumours have spread quickly in the world's most wired country making claims such as diapers and cosmetics posing a risk for mad cow disease because beef products are used in their production.

Further Reading

-

Go to our previous news item on this story by clicking here.

TheCattleSite News Desk

Sign up for our
regular news updates

Latest Cattle Industry News

•   Fonterra Lowers Dairy Price at the Counter
•   Monsanto Get $300 Million for Cow Hormone
•   Argentina Back on Strike
•   Economic Collapse Takes Root in Agriculture
•   Food Safety Shutdown: The End of FARAD
•   Think Twice on Feeding Cattle for Less Days
•   Animal Cruelty Bill in Arkansas Likely
•   Price of Latin American Transport on Exports
•   Legislation for Dairy COOL Draws Praise
•   NFU Stress Importance of Raw Milk Contracts
•   A Potential Solution for Suckler Beef
•   Weekly US Cattle Outlook - Cow Slaughter Continues to Rise
•   FMD NEWS: Policy Under Review
•   R-Calf in Praise of Modernisation Act
•   Measuring Mobility Helps Dairy Farmers Save